What is the deciding factor - budget-middle

[admin_exported]

hi - what do you think is the deciding factor between buying a budget system or a middle higher end system, is it purely finance or does room size and shape come into it? I only have a small room where my hi-fi is located so would i be wasting money buying say, a Roksan amp rather than entry level Rotel RA04? - same for speakers etc as i obviously want more quality fine sound rather than power with such a small room. (Room will be slightly awkward L shaped but narrow part of 2.2meters will be where the listening chair will be).

thanks

Neil

 

[a91gti]

Both are deciding factors, you would look pretty silly with huge expensive speakers in a tiny room but can spend the same on small standmounts. The whole thing has to be a balance between cost and practicality.

 

[Anonymous]

Even for the smallest room you can buy a very expensive system. It would be probably orientated towards detail, realism and quality. For example, find a decent high power valve amp and turntable source to drive a pair of Spendor SA1s. That would work well in the smallest of listening rooms and would cost a packet.

More cash doesn't just buy more scale.

 

[Anonymous]

The Japanese live in tiny houses and just love big, expensive hifi. Tannoys & elegant tube concoctions all shoehorned into small apartments.

Don't think about size....In the uk we tend to go too small anyway. Too many people are seduced by dealer hype and fashion. Small speakers = small sound. Or rather, compromised lower end. Go for balance in the frequency range.

Many of the posts here refer to uncompromising decorative operative requirements (the missus says no).

Go for the new £1000 B&W floorstanders (can't remember the numbers) as speakers and invest in cables too.

Great interconnects and speaker wire does make a difference. Team up with a turntable (250 quids worth would do it with a £300 cartridge) or a good Cd player from one of the stalwarts. A secondhand Naim would be a good move at about 400 quid.

The amp is up to you but be careful because an awful lot of guff is talked about amps. Don't assume pricey is best. Maybe a second hand amp or something which could be expanded to a pre /power combo later ? Roksan perhaps? A lot of Naim stuff all together can sound a bit....errrr Sterile , unless you really go with the big wonga upfront.

Remember. It's all very, very subjective. Listen and learn. Try LOADS of stuff before you buy.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Ryelane"]
Go for the new £1000 B&W floorstanders (can't remember the numbers) as speakers.

The Bowers and Wilkins CM7s I believe. [/quote]

 

[Anonymous]

From a recent home demo of a pair of Spendor S8E in a smallish living room 4M * 3M, the sound was just to big. I could not get the speakers far enough from the walls or each other to give a co-hesive sound. Swapped with the Spendor S6E... fantastic. I think speaker size and room size does make a difference.

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="igglebert"]Even for the smallest room you can buy a very expensive system. It would be probably orientated towards detail, realism and quality. For example, find a decent high power valve amp and turntable source to drive a pair of Spendor SA1s. That would work well in the smallest of listening rooms and would cost a packet.

More cash doesn't just buy more scale[/quote]

Indeed ... or you could buy a fatman or rothaudio amp and pair it with a cyrus player and Rega R3's. Great little valve system that'll probably challenge a few better known names higher up the price ladder. If its a fatigue free, powerful and emotive sound you like. Having said that the latter two components will make sure its not going to far in the wrong direction ...

 

[John Duncan]

It's money. Irrespective of the size of room, I'd buy the very best system I could afford at the time, though obviously matching it to the room - if I could afford six grand, I still wouldn't be buying Quad electrostatics, for example.

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"]It's money. Irrespective of the size of room, I'd buy the very best system I could afford at the time, though obviously matching it to the room - if I could afford six grand, I still wouldn't be buying Quad electrostatics, for example.[/quote]

I'd buy a Solo mini with 5.4k speakers.

 

[Alec]

[quote user="drummerman"]
[quote user="JohnDuncan"]It's money. Irrespective of the size of room, I'd buy the very best system I could afford at the time, though obviously matching it to the room - if I could afford six grand, I still wouldn't be buying Quad electrostatics, for example.[/quote]

I'd buy a Solo mini with 5.4k speakers.
[/quote]

id buy the speakers if they came with a free mini!

 

[Alec]

solo mini i mean, not the car.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="drummerman"]

I'd buy a Solo mini with 5.4k speakers.
[/quote]
Don't forget to leave a couple of k for cables....

 

[drummerman]

[quote user="igglebert"]Don't forget to leave a couple of k for cables....[/quote]

... and the Audiophilestarbase to give appropriate support ....